


Outside the Box

by DawningStar



Category: Dreaming of Sunshine - Silver Queen
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 09:54:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18870847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawningStar/pseuds/DawningStar
Summary: Now that he’s fully aware just how much Kakashi-senpai cares about Hawk and Bat, Tenzou would like to have warning of any potential trouble.  Listening to Towa and Komachi, the other two members of Hawk’s squad, might give him that.It also might give him a headache.





	Outside the Box

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Oceans_pebble](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oceans_pebble/gifts).



Tenzou is practicing his stealth inside ANBU headquarters… 

More accurate: Tenzou is shamelessly eavesdropping, because spending time with Kakashi-senpai is a terrible influence on his ability to mind his own business. 

Now that he’s fully aware just how much Kakashi-senpai cares about his students Hawk and Bat, Tenzou would like to have warning of any potential trouble. Listening to Towa and Komachi, the other two members of Hawk’s squad, might give him that. 

It also might give him a headache. 

“I can’t believe that worked,” Towa tells Komachi, with a tone of genuine shock. 

Komachi throws both her hands up in what looks like equal bafflement. “I want to know how she even comes up with these ideas!” 

“I wasn’t trained for this,” Towa agrees. “No one is trained for this.” 

“It’s like…” Komachi mimes a box-like shape with empty hands. “Here are all the ways shinobi normally do things, right? All of them. And Bat gets an _idea_ and—” The metaphorical box is set invisibly on the ground. “—so she says, ‘if I stand on the box I can grab you a star.’ And then she does!” 

Towa heaves a sigh, sad acceptance as though of an inarguable truth. “I wouldn’t mind the crazy ideas,” he says, “but it seems a little unfair how often they work.” 

“She must have learned all this somewhere,” Komachi says, tone thoughtful. “The background...the detail...it doesn’t all come from her own head, or it wouldn’t work so well.” 

“Don’t speculate on identities,” Towa reminds, as is polite, although Tenzou would be surprised if they haven’t figured out the connections by now even in a masks-on squad. 

Komachi signs a distracted _affirmative_ and continues, “We saw them with Wolf-taicho. Do you think she learned it from him?” 

Towa tips a hand back and forth to indicate uncertainty. “Some of it? There’s that attitude…” 

Tenzou knows both ANBU were recruited too recently to have been on official missions with Wolf-senpai, but Wolf has been something of a legend within ANBU ranks. The recent confrontation in which Tenzou himself tried to force Wolf-senpai out of ANBU headquarters hadn’t been what anyone could call subtle. It had ended better than Tenzou had expected, thanks largely to Bat’s presence. 

Although Bat has certainly incorporated elements of Kakashi-senpai’s tricky style for her own, Tenzou sees another influence. The creativity, the motivation, the drive to abandon all known paths as unacceptable and make a new one...as someone who’s spent time on jinchuuriki guard duty, he recognizes Naruto Uzumaki when described. 

Komachi shakes her head. “At first I thought our rookie was a little overconfident. Then I realized she’s underselling herself, if anything. It’s a little bit terrifying.” 

“You know, I thought she was joking when she said sabotage was the official term for ruining everything she touches.” 

Both ANBU snort with laughter and guiltily shush each other. A little too close to actual mission detail. They say nothing more about their teammates, heading out to an meal with hot food. 

Tenzou has heard about the incident in Earth Country, of course. Everyone paying attention hears the news of an earthquake that sent a major river away from the shipping ports it had long fed. 

The timing was...interesting. Tenzou doesn’t like to suspect things that if true are beyond classified. Knowing too much will only get him into trouble. But on this one he has not managed to stop thinking. 

He thinks about Hawk and Bat, about Bat’s first mission, clearly a success in her own judgement. 

He thinks about Shikako Nara, who can sense dragon veins, who’s famous for her flexible use of seals, and Sasuke Uchiha, who’s successfully performed Earth Flow with her help. An uncontrolled attempt that got away from him. An attempt that can’t have happened anywhere near Konoha. 

Tenzou makes a mental note to warn Bat not to hint what skills she’s used recently. Not even to close allies and fellow ANBU. Not if Tsunade-sama is going to send Hawk and Bat on missions that whole countries will talk about for years. 

If there’s any connection at all. Tenzou would prefer there not be. 

He tries to make himself believe that, the better to cover for the kids Kakashi-senpai cares about. 

It’s an attempt doomed to failure, he suspects. 

In any case, Bat is extremely competent and he will eventually work with her...even if he’s certain that combining Kakashi-senpai’s training with Naruto’s creativity and Bat’s own sharp mind is asking for trouble. At least both her current captain Hawk and Tenzou himself have some experience with containing the ensuing chaos. 

Tenzou sighs and considers trying to fit a nap into his schedule as a preemptive reward.


End file.
